Detection of L.I.F.E. in Ice

Abstract: Once thought to be barren of life, the ice covers of alpine and polar lakes are home to rich microbial communities. Advances in laser induced fluorescence emission (L.I.F.E.) imaging and spectroscopy now make it possible to detect and monitor the photosynthetic cyanobacteria most often encountered in this ecological niche. Recent findings during the 2008 Tawani Expedition to Lake Untersee, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica indicate it might be possible to search from orbit for signs of photosynthetic life in the polar regions of Mars and the frozen regions of exoplanets in neighboring star systems. In a joint effort between the Kinohi Institute and the Ecology Institute of the University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria, techniques are being developed that may also enable us to estimate the productivity of polar ice photosynthesis and predict the impact of the Earth’s cryosphere on the global carbon budget. Employing these techniques from an orbiting satellite would provide us with a new tool to assess the impact of global climate change on Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine ecosystems.

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